Category Archives: Personal

Pain

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I haven’t been posting much because I haven’t had much to say.

Yes, I know I am two months behind with Adam’s newsletters. And, yes, I know I have never written about my trip to Dublin. So I have things to write about. I just have nothing to say.

One reason for this is my current levels of pain. My bad leg has been hurting worse than ever. In fact, it’s so bad I’ve been limping. I start acupuncture in a week and we’ll see if it helps.

But the thing about pain is that it is consuming. There are things that *have* to get done, i.e. childcare, and that takes priority over writing in this blog. Ye old spoon theory strikes again.

How can it take spoons to write, you might be wondering. Well, then you’ve never written! Everything takes spoons.

And for right now? I’m out of them.

I’ll have more in the morning, of course. But those are already laid out for using. For work, for making dinner, for folding laundry, for walking to get a small boy from daycare. If I have a chance to rest, maybe I’ll have a spare spoon to write another entry.

But maybe I won’t. Only tomorrow will tell.

So I’ve now got a full blog writer on my iPhone

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So maybe I’ll update more, as I go about my life. Maybe not!

It’s been a horrid week with both my men down with D&V. At this point Adam is fine, but Simon is still suffering.

So my birthday lunch has been postponed until next week and tomorrow I will just get my haircut and have a few hours to myself.

And here’s a picture of my mum and Adam. Just cuz!

Why I Spent My Saturday Evening In A&E

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Adam started coughing Wednesday night so bad he didn’t sleep, so I took him to GP on Thursday, who looked in ears etc said were red and gave ABs.

Thursday night he woke up around midnight and puked all over daddy.

Friday he had a fever all day, spiking to 101.3.  Gave ibuprofen and fever came down but not eating or drinking much.

Friday night slept about 11 hours and woke with an almost dry nappy. Mama worried.

Saturday morning threw up morning milk.  Threw up again 30 minutes later.  Threw up again 1 hour after that. Two rounds of diarrhoea.  Rash breaking out.  Passed the glass test, so not meningitis. Called out of office service for GP.  Waited 2.5 hours for a call back.  When spoke to GP felt very much like she was ‘there there, that’s a overreacting mummy’ to me.  But told me to call back if he got worse.  Also told me to go ahead and give next dose of ABs, he had thrown them up earlier.  Gave them.  Threw them up.  Gave some milk.  Threw it up.  Called back GP.  Told it was still 2 hours for a call back. Sighed.  Gave water. Threw up.  Went to A&E.

A&E triage nurses also made me feel like I was overreacting.  Waited the 3 hours to be seen and watched his rash spread more. Saw Paediatrician.  Looked in ears/throat/listened to chest.  Wondered why the hell he was given ABs.  Very strongly hinted to stop them.

Diagnoses: very severe viral infection.  *Good* thing brought him in. Not dehydrated but might have been. Keep a close eye and try to get him to drink anything but milk and water.  Great, it’s all the kid drinks! He hates juice!!

Nothing to do now but wait and let him get through it and try to keep his fluids up.

My poor wee boy. He just can’t catch a break, can he?

So, Let’s Try This Again

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On Wednesday my mom and step dad get here for a week visit.  They are basically stopping over on their way to Africa for a 3 week tour.

You may recall last June when they came for Adam’s 1st birthday and stopped over in London during it where my mom landed herself in hospital and never made it back.

Yeah.  She’s not allowed to leave the country this time until her visit is over!

Her coming is always good as it kicks me in the bottom to get things done around the house.

Today I have: –

  1. Folded and put away laundry
  2. Taken down the Christmas tree and assorted other Christmas decorations
  3. Tidy Adam’s room and reorganized some things, including hanging his clothing hooks on the wall so we can actually use them to, you know, hang clothing.  Or, in the current case, his bicycle helmet.
  4. Put together the new storage bookcase in the hall closet and reorganized that closet
  5. Oh and do about an hour of work I actually get paid for.

So I’m a bit tired.  And actually have one more thing I’d like to do today.  And 4 things on my list for Wednesday, which is Adam’s next day in daycare.  Or I could do some of the Wednesday things tomorrow while he’s napping.  Presuming he naps!

So thanks for the visit Mom!  My house is getting so organized now!

And Today, 4th January 2011 At Aproximately 5pm

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Adam climbed up on the sofa.

My life is over.

I have nowhere to put the phone now.

I am out of high shelf space.

Also? He can open doors.  But only if he can push.  He hasn’t figured out pull yet.  I am expecting that tomorrow.

To counteract this display to cause Mama and Dada to go ‘OH CRAP!’  he has also started running towards us to hug our legs.

He gives kisses.

He tries to feed us.

He does that patting his hand over his mouth thing going ‘wawawawa’.

He tells us long involved stories that I am sure some day will be in English.

He gives snuggling head butts.

He pats you on the arm when you are carrying him.

And also today, for the first time, he went for a brief walk with his Dada with no buggy or reins.  Holding hands down the pavement and around to the car park of our building.  I missed it as I was lying down, but Dada was very very proud.

But, did I mention? OH CRAP HE CAN CLIMB!!!

So, Do I Have Any New Years Resolutions?

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Not really.

I mean, I have plans and goals for 2011 but I wouldn’t call them resolutions.

I want us to move to a house, probably rented but buying is not off the table right now.

I would like at least one more client for a few hours a week or to create a website for someone from scratch.

And that’s about it, really.

It’s been a good year, just past.  With Simon getting a great job advancement and my company doing fairly well.

So I don’t really have any resolutions.

And one wish…for an entire month, just one month, of no illness for Adam. 🙂

I Have Spent The Last Few Days

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as it looks more and more likely that Christmas will be Simon, Adam and I, due to my in laws being iced in, thinking about Christmases past with my family.

And I wonder, does my step mom still yell down the stairs, after being woken by the younger generation, once her children, now her grandchildren, ‘Did he come?’  Just as if she wasn’t the one who arranged the gifts under the tree.

Do my brother and step-sister remember the year we stood out and lighted the Illuminares over and over and over again?  And the one year where one of the bags caught fire because of the wind and my brother had to stamp it out?

The year I got mad as my slightly drunk step mother insisted that I go to bed so Santa could come because I was the baby and I was at least 21?

The first Christmas J & B and I were in California and we were so broke but still had one of the best Christmases ever.

The year my dad had a heart attack at Thanksgiving and I went home for Christmas for the first time since I had moved to California.

My first horribly homesick Christmas in Northern Ireland, when I left Simon at the local pub and crawled into bed to cry.

Being with my family last year, for the first time in 6 years.

And now, just me and Simon and Adam.  Our first Christmas in our own place.  We wish the in laws could be here, but the weather is against us.

So we’ll eat a ton of turkey.  And a lot of sausages.  And possibly waaaay to much stuffing (everyone has sent me Stove Top! I have four boxes!).

And have a Happy Christmas.

On Sitting In The Dark

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I am writing this on my iPhone, in the low light in Adam’s room, trying to settle him in his cot.

It’s Saturday night and I used to spend this time with my husband, drinking wine and watching movies. Now I spend it waiting for a small boy to be asleep enough to go in his cot.

This is what mummies do. They give up their wine drinking and movie watching to make sure their small people settle well into their beds.

Adam is ill again so any thoughts Simon and I had of trying to get him to settle himself are on hold until he is well. If he’s ever well.

So I sit, with my small boy on my lap, trying to move him into his cot every 15 minutes.

Eventually it might even work.